Category Archives: Mother-daughter relations

2012, Abandoned child, Bloody scenes, British, Child abduction and murder, Child abuse, Complicated, Creepy, Emotional child abuse, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Ghost story, Grim, Horror, Merely acceptable, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder by poison, Netflix Streaming, Orphans in Foster Care, Physical child abuse, Psychic Phenomena, Psychopath, Romance, Sadism, Suspense, Unmarried mother, Violent

The Secret of Crickley Hall (2012)

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From IMDB:

A year after their son goes missing, a family moves to Crickley Hall. When supernatural events begin to take place, Eve feels the house is somehow connected to her lost son.

From Netflix you can stream this 1.5 hour complete film.

Horror films can sometimes be silly or exaggerated. At best there is always some “manifestation” that is a bit over the top. However, this particular horror film successfully glues the paranormal to the gradual uncovering of the abuses of a madman.

And guess who plays the madman! Immediately I recognized the face but it took a while to register that the sadist Augustus Cribben is played by no other than the actor that plays DI Jimmy Perez in “Shetland”, namely Douglas Henshall. Possibly I took so long to make the connection because the two characters are complete opposites.

Eve Cleigh, the mother, is played by Suranne Jones (detective Rachel Bailey of “Scott and Bailey”).  Gabe Caleigh, the father, is played by Tom Ellis (who unfortunately plays the devil in “Lucifer”).

Because the scenes constantly shift between present and past, you have to equate the young character with the older counterpart. Moreover there are many characters.  So pay close attention to the good guys and the bad guys.

Give this film a “merely acceptable.”

2015, 2016, Abuse of Women, Adopted child, Adultery, Ambiguous Conclusion, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Cancer theme, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Cold Cases, Contract Killing, Corruption, Courtroom scenes, Depression, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional child abuse, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Incest, Male Prostitutes, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Pedophilia, Personal Betrayal, Police cover-up, Police Politics, Prostitutes, Racism, Rape, Revenge, Romance, Sex with underage girls, Sister-sister relations

Unforgotten (2015)

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From Netflix you can stream the first two seasons of this excellent British cold-case series.

For the 6 45-minute episodes of the first season the plot starts with:

A skeleton found in the cellar of a building prompts investigation from DCI Stuart and her colleague into the murder of a young man that could potentially span back thousands of years.

For the 6 45-minute episodes of the second season the plot starts with:

Cassie and Sunny join together to investigate when a body is found in a suitcase when the river Lea gets dredged.

Although there are 5 seasons, I don’t know where to find the last three seasons.

In each season the plot runs as follows: First and foremost the challenge is to identify the victim. That process leads to a list of names associated with the victim. Each such name carries its own story. Eventually all the personal stories become entangled as the detectives struggle to make sense of the crime.

British crime series strike me as one big repertory group. You see the same actors over and over in different roles. If you want a list of those actors that keep reappearing, “Unforgotten” provides that list. Couple the list with the “Unforgotten” discussion in IMDB just in case you know you have seen that actor before but you just can’t remember who it is.

Both seasons are binge-worthy. DO NOT MISS!

 

2015, Acceptable for children, Acorn TV, Autobiographical, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, British, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Coming-of-age, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Feel Good For All, Husband leaves wife, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Nostalgia, Quiet, Romance, Senior citizens, Small British village, Small gem of a film, Teenagers, War Deserter, Wonderful photography, WWI

Cider With Rose (2015)

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From IMDB:

In 1918, with her husband working in the War office – and subsequently leaving the family – devoted mother Annie Lee takes her step-daughters and her own children to live in the idyllic Gloucestershire countryside, the youngest being the sickly Laurie, known as Loll. Here they witness two feuding matrons, Granny Trill and Granny Wallon and shelter a young army deserter hiding in the woods until his capture. At school Loll and his classmates are terrorized by the formidable teacher Crabby until hulking Spadge Hopkins literally puts her in her place. Far more important to Loll’s schooldays are the captivating Burdock sisters, Jo and Rosie, and, as he grows into adolescence and beyond, eventually leaving home to seek his fortune, he samples the delights of cider with Rosie.

From Acorn TV:

This beautifully shot, elegiac drama is a coming-of-age story set in a remote English valley post-WWI. Raised by his kindly mother (Samantha Morton, In America) among a pack of siblings, Laurie Lee experiences the wonders of love and friendship but also the brutality of loss and death. “Brilliant performances underpin a lyrical, languid, and poetic adaptation [of Lee’s memoir]” -The Telegraph.

From Wikipedia:

Cider with Rosie is a 1959 book by Laurie Lee (published in the US as Edge of Day: Boyhood in the West of England, 1960). It is the first book of a trilogy that continues with As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). It has sold over six million copies worldwide.

From Acorn TV you can stream this heart-warming 89 minute film.

Annie Lee, the mother, is played by Samantha Morton (Alpha in the 2019 The Walking Dead).  Granny Trill is played by Annette Crosbie (Clarice Millgrove in  Call the Midwife) whose face was immediately familiar to me even though at the time of filming she was 81 years old.

If you want a beautiful yet sad-at-times reproduction of WWI life in rural England from a century ago, DO NOT MISS!

2015, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, British, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Carpentry, Could Be Sad, Deportation, Detective, Drama, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Lawyers, Mother-daughter relations, Romance, Terminal Disease, Terrorists, Wrongful Arrest

Capital (2015)

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From IMDB:

The residents of an affluent street in London are busy getting on with their lives, when suddenly something very strange happens. Every house in the street has an identical, mysterious postcard pushed through their letterboxes that simply states “WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE”. At first, the residents of Pepys Road dismiss the notes as some sort of marketing campaign but gradually as events begin to escalate it becomes clear that there is something more to this strange occurrence than something as mundane as that.

From Acorn TV:

Based on John Lanchester’s bestselling novel, this complex and resonant drama starring Toby Jones and Rachael Stirling is a “beguiling” (The Daily Telegraph, UK) and “alarmingly recognizable” (The Times, UK) depiction of contemporary life in England’s capital city.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of the one season complete story.  Each episode is about 45 minutes.

Five subplots associated with the same block in London are involved:

  • Ahmed’s Pakistani family runs the corner grocer. One of his brothers is falsely accused of terrorism.
  • Roger (Toby Jones) is an investor with a ridiculing wife.
  • Mary (Lesley Sharp) looks after her ailing mother Petunia (Gemma Jones).
  • Bogdan is a Polish is a building contractor who falls in love with Roger’s nanny. He is renovating Petunia’s residence because Petunia dies and Mary wants to sell.
  • Quentina, the neighbor auxiliary policewoman, has VISA problems.

Lesley Sharp played DC Janet Scott in the enjoyable series “Scott and Bailey”.  Gemma Jones, who was 73 during the production, has a huge resume including playing Claire Slater in the TV series “Unforgotten”.

Almost every subplot, except for one real tragedy, ends happily. Fearing the worst, I was almost afraid to watch the fourth and final episode.  Well worth the watch!

 

2018, Based on true facts, Biographical, Civil Rights, Courtroom scenes, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Father-daughter relations, Lawyers, Medical Theme, Mother-daughter relations, Romance, Women's Equality

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

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From IMDB:

The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.

Are you interested in a truly inspirational film?  Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a heroine for our Trump-troubled times.  “True Grit” characterizes  not only her portrayal in the film, but even today as she refuses to give in to such trifling problems as cancer.

Felicity Jones was a perfect choice for the lead role. Nor did it hurt to have Armie Hammer play her devoted husband. In the follow-up notes at the end of the film we learn that Ruth and Martin were married for 56 years.

Imagine Sam Waterston playing a villain, namely, Erwin Griswold. Kathy Bates is just right as crusty Dorothy Kenyon. Justin Theroux as Mel Wulf inspired me to make a contribution to the ACLU.

Let us hope that Ruth Bader Ginsburg outlasts Donald Trump.

DO NOT MISS!

2018, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acorn TV, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Based on true facts, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Child abuse, Cold Cases, Depression, Detective, Emotional child abuse, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Government cover-up, Mental Illness, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Physical child abuse, Police Politics, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish Detective, Underdogs win

The Truth Will Out (2018)

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From IMDB:

After a long sick leave and recovery police detective Peter Wendel is back on duty. He is commissioned to form a new team to reopen unresolved murder cases, however he soon finds himself with a rather third rank and conflicting staff. Soon they are in the center of a new case. An unknown murderer claims that Sweden’s most infamous murderer is a fraud – that he never committed the murders he’s jailed for. High reaching implications are to be exposed, involving even the Swedish government.

From Acorn TV:

Detective Peter Wendel wants to create an elite team of investigators to crack cold cases. When the police receive a tip that Sweden’s most notorious serial killer is a fraud, and therefore eight killers might have gone free, Wendel gets his chance–but only the dregs of the force are available to work the case. Can his lowly group solve these high-profile crimes? Swedish with English subtitles.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 8 episodes of this complete story. Each episode lasts about 43 minutes. Swedish with English subtitles. Formerly Acorn TV advertised itself as “All Things British” but evidently their intent has changed.

Plaguing Peter Wendel throughout the episodes is the sorrow over his brother’s suicide. Because he refuses to accept the verdict of suicide he becomes so mentally ill and a bit violent and must be hospitalized. Now that he is released from care he faces the prejudice that he cannot do his job properly which only makes his job proving that the Minister of Justice erred in pronouncing a man guilty of serial killings.

His ragtag trio of helpers turn out to be diamonds in the rough, especially the older woman “administrator” who shows herself to be clever, very observant, and even capable of head butting.

What compelled me to binge watch was the injustice of the cover-up by the upper echelons and the efforts of a detected named Temo to discredit and remove Peter Wendel.

Because the pace is quite S L O W,  you might easily be tempted to stop watching after the first episode. Stick with the well crafted plot to see clever vindications.

 

2019, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Creepy, Detective, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Forensics, Mild Torture, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nazis, Police Culture, Police Politics, Serial Killer, Slow, Unusual

The ABC Murders (2019)

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From Amazon Prime:

1933. Hercule Poirot, older and greyer, receives letters threatening murder. The sender signs themselves only as “A.B.C.” When he takes the letters to the police looking for help, Hercule finds all his old friends have moved on. But soon there is a murder and the once-great detective must take matters into his own hands.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 3 one-hour episodes of this complete story.

John Malkovich  stars as the aging Hercule Poirot in this S L O W moving presentation. “Bizarre” is the adjective that springs to my mind. Eamon Farren portrays the creepy Cust. To give you an idea of “creepy”,  Cust pays a prostitute to walk on his back with stiletto heeled shoes.  You may well be surprised by certain plot turns.

Not a waste of time, but certainly not to everyone’s taste.

 

 

2017, Amazon Prime, America of the 1950s, American Jewish Culture, Amusing banter, Comedy, Cooking and food, Crude Talk, Dancing, Divorce, Eccentric cast of characters, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flirting, French Culture, Lot's of Fun, Love Story, Mathematician, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Nudity, Remarkable Costumes, Romance, Sex Scenes, Vulgar

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

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From Amazon Prime:

Winner of 8 Emmy Awards. In 1958 New York, Midge Maisel’s life is on track- husband, kids, and elegant Yom Kippur dinners in their Upper West Side apartment. But when her life takes a surprise turn, she has to quickly decide what else she’s good at – and going from housewife to stand-up comic is a wild choice to everyone but her. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls).

From IMDB:

Set in 1950s Manhattan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a 60-minute dramedy that centers on Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a sunny, energetic, sharp, Jewish girl who had her life mapped out: go to college, find a husband, have kids, and throw the best Yom Kippur break-fasts in town. Soon enough, she finds herself exactly where she had hoped to be, living happily with her husband and two children in the Upper West Side. A woman of her time, Midge is a cheerleader wife to a man who dreams of a stand-up comedy career, but her perfect life is upended when her husband suddenly leaves her for another woman. Utterly unprepared, Midge is left with no choice but to reevaluate her life. When she accidentally stumbles onto the stage at a nightclub, she discovers her own comedic skills and decides to use this newfound talent to help her reinvent her life. The series follows the trajectory of Midge’s journey as she pursues a career in the male-dominated, stand-up comedy profession, and transforms from uptown.

From Amazon Prime you can stream two seasons of this wacky soap opera.  Season 1 offers 8 episodes. Season 2 offers 10 episodes. All of the episodes vary in length but all are more or less close to one hour.

Upper middle class Jewish life centering around the Upper West Side of New York city was a new experience and revelation for me.  For awhile I was skeptical that Midge’s father (played to riotous perfection by  Tony Shalhoub ),  a university math professor, could earn enough to support a large and gorgeous apartment in which the only woman in the production who did not wear an entirely different and obviously expensive outfit at every appearance was the family cook.  Eventually I learned that the university owned the apartment, but THOSE CLOTHES!!! If nothing else, if you want to see a living catalog of the fashionable garments of the 50’s, you will appreciate this funny fantasy.

Rachel Brosnahan who plays Midge is strikingly beautiful. (And those clothes don’t hurt!)  Her rapid delivery is astounding. How much did the cast have to practice to be able to do that? In fact that is the hallmark of the entire series: the rapid fire deliveries are almost a challenge to keep up with. When I finished an episode I would find myself thinking faster.

Don’t get me wrong: many of the other actors deliver their lines well. But Midge and her father Abe Weissman are standouts.

In the plot Midge, in her quest to become a famous comedienne, interacts with the famous comedian Lenny Bruce. You are hereby warned that throughout the series much of the language and the gags are vulgar. You will hear the F word very often. Recall that Lenny Bruce was often indicted (and jailed) for lewd comedy. There are still things you cannot say in 2019 on cable TV.

My suspicion is that you will either love or hate this show. For my part I LOVED THIS SERIES!

 

2018, Abortion, Abuse of Women, Adopted child, Adultery, Amazon Prime, Antique Cars, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional child abuse, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Illegitimate Child, Jealousy, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Revenge, Romance, Sex with underage girls, Sister-sister relations, Soap Opera, Stepchild, Unmarried mother

Ordeal by Innocence (2018)

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From Amazon Prime:

When wealthy philanthropist, Rachel Argyll, is murdered at her family estate, her adopted son Jack is arrested for her murder. He vehemently protests his guilt and eighteen months later, the identity of the murder is thrown in doubt. Now it is up to the rest of the family to decipher a killer amongst them.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 3 episodes of this complete story. Each episode lasts about one hour.

Only at times did the drama seemed to drag a bit. But the plot and the characters are so well developed that we could not resist bingeing.  Have fun trying to spot the killer in this unhappy family in which the 5 children (all adopted) have all been mistreated by Rachel, their witch of a mother.

Several of the British actors may be familiar to you. Rachel, the murdered victim, is played by Anna Chancellor. Her husband Leo is played by  Bill Nighy.  Philip Durrant, the bitter son-in-law is played by Matthew Goode.

Included in the plot are one of the best pieces of revenge I have seen in a film.

For what it is worth, in the United States only Virginia prohibits the marriage of step-siblings.

If you are a fan of mystery soap operas, DO NOT MISS!

 

 

2017, Acorn TV, Big Pharma, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corruption, Detective, Drama, Ethical struggles, Harmful Medicine, International thriler, Irish Detective Series, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Police Politics, Sister-sister relations, Sociopath, Suspense

Acceptable Risk (2017)

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From IMDB:

When her husband, Lee, is murdered, Sarah Manning comes to realize that she knows nothing about his past. Sarah begins to question who Lee actually was and what he did in his work for a powerful global organization. And why did Lee, a salesman, need to carry a gun?

From Acorn TV you can stream 6 episodes of this international conspiracy mystery based in Dublin. Each episode is about 50 minutes.

Sarah Manning (played by Elaine Cassidy) is the mourning but puzzled widow. Detective Sergeant Emer Byrne (played by Angeline Ball) is the  member of the Irish Guard (i.e. police) who despite the obstacles placed before her by her formerly honest Chief Superintendent James Nulty (played by Lorcan Cranitch)  is determined to pursue the murder case. Sarah is surrounded by relatives, police officers, and pharmaceutical employees all of whom have something to hide.  Hans Werner Hoffman (played by Morten Suurballe) presents one of the coldest sociopaths I have seen in a drama.

Such a binge-worthy plot is well worth your time.